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Protect your home with defensible space

At the two-year anniversary of the High Park Fire – one of the most destructive wildfires in state history that has left its scars on the Poudre Canyon – the Colorado State Forest Service wants to remind landowners to prepare for wildfires before they arrive.

At the two-year anniversary of the High Park Fire – one of the most destructive wildfires in state history that has left its scars on the Poudre Canyon – the Colorado State Forest Service wants to remind landowners to prepare for wildfires before they arrive.

While there is no guarantee firefighters will be able to save any one home from a wildfire, the odds increase if landowners create defensible space, said Lisa Mason, the Fire Adapted Communities program manager for the CSFS.

Defensible space is the area around homes or other structures that has been modified to reduce fire hazard. Addressing defensible space not only reduces the risk of home loss, but also improves safety for residents if they have to evacuate and for emergency crews responding to a wildfire.

"Homeowners working together around adjacent homes and throughout communities will be even more effective at reducing wildfire risk," Mason said.